Heat shock protein 27-derived atheroprotection involves reverse cholesterol transport that is dependent on GM-CSF to maintain ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression in ApoE-/- mice [Research]

Recently, we demonstrated that heat shock protein (HSP)-27 is protective against the development of experimental atherosclerosis, reducing plaque cholesterol content by more than 30%. Moreover, elevated HSP-27 levels are predictive of relative freedom from clinical cardiovascular events. HSP-27 signaling occurs via the activation of NF-B which induces a marked up-regulation in GM-CSF expression, a cytokine that is known to alter ABC transporters involved in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Therefore, we hypothesized that HSP-27-derived GM-CSF has a potent role in impeding plaque formation by promoting macrophage RCT and sought to better characterize this pathway. Treatment of THP-1 cells, RAW-Blue cells, and primary macrophages with recombinant HSP-27 resulted in NF-B activation via TLR-4 and was inhibited by various pharmacologic blockers of this pathway. Moreover, HSP-27-induced upregulation of GM-CSF expression was dependent on TLR-4 signaling. recombinant (r)HSP-27 treatment of ApoE^–/– female (but not male) mice for 4 wk yielded reductions in plaque area and cholesterol clefts of 33 and 47%, respectively, with no effect on GM-CSF^–/–ApoE^–/– mice. With 12 wk of rHSP-27 treatment, both female and male mice showed reductions in plaque burden (55 and 42%, respectively) and a 60% reduction in necrotic core area but no treatment effect in GM-CSF^–/–ApoE^–/– mice. In vitro functional studies revealed that HSP-27 enhanced the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1, as well as facilitated cholesterol efflux in vitro by ~10%. These novel findings establish a paradigm for HSP-27-mediated RCT and set the stage for the development of HSP-27 atheroprotective therapeutics.—Pulakazhi Venu, V. K., Adijiang, A., Seibert, T., Chen, Y.-X., Shi, C., Batulan, Z., O’Brien, E. R. Heat shock protein 27–derived atheroprotection involves reverse cholesterol transport that is dependent on GM-CSF to maintain ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression in ApoE^–/– mice.

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